Incoming: New Products – Issue 37

Carrying tourniquets on armor carriers and packs presents a trade-off between access speed and protection from the elements. TQs mounted in the most accessible places suffer damage from basic abrasion to the slow deterioration caused by exposure to sunlight and rain. We all know that seconds count when that arterial bleed is gushing. So, Imminent Threat Solutions invented a device that decreases the time it takes to deploy a TQ while protecting it. The TourniQuick pouch’s cover is actually a breakaway Velcro panel that connects to the free end of the TQ and tears off from the pouch. Instead of pulling a pouch open and removing a TQ, once you pull the TourniQuick’s top, you’re actually holding the free end of a TQ that’s now ready for life-saving action. Each TourniQuick includes a removable time label and a long MALICE Clip for mounting on PALS webbing. Make: ITS Model: TourniQuick Pouch Compatibility: C-A-T or 1.5-inch-wide SOFTT-W Tourniquets MSRP: $45 URL:www.itstactical.com

With its new Interval shoe, Combat Flip-Flops is dangerously close voiding its “Bad for Running, Worse for Fighting” credo. While these shoes offer more protection than flip-flops, they’re still a little too chill for a day of hard-core operations. Thankfully, they excel at bar side ops. With an understated upper made from durable and breathable canvas, the Interval is a lightweight, comfortable alternative to the corporate dress code. The outsole is a longwearing blend of natural and synthetic rubber with a cushioned EVA foam heel. True to its roots, the new Unarmed Forces footwear continue CFF’s effort to manufacture peace through trade by sourcing the raw material for its new shoes from farms that formerly grew coca plants to support the drug trade. The farms are now rubber plantations, generating sustainable materials used throughout the UAF footwear line. And each pair of shoes funds a day of school for an Afghan girl through Aid Afghanistan for Education. Make: Combat Flip-Flops Model: UAF Interval WIDTH: 1.25 inches MSRP: $45 URL:www.combatflipflops.com

Lining up a gas block on an AR barrel isn’t rocket science, but it’s still kind o f a pain in the ass. There’s enough forgiveness in the Stoner operating system that most rifles will function with a slightly misaligned gas port, but a 100-percent perfect gas port alignment means you’ve got one less thing to worry about when troubleshooting a finicky home-built rifle. The Gas Block Genie is a simple device that measures the location of the port in the gas block and lets you scribe a line that perfectly aligns the ports on the barrel and gas block. The first version works with 0.750-inch barrels, but versions for 0.625-inch and 0.875-inch are in the works. We’ll admit this is the sort of thing an enterprising tool geek can make themselves if they had the time. But, we don’t have time. Make: Two Two Three Innovations Model: Gas Block Genie COMPATIBILITY: 0.750-inch diameter barrel MSRP: $20 URL:www.gasblockgenie.com

The minimalist wallet from Celtic Shield (a veteran owned and operated company) joins a growing trend away from dead cow and toward compact, modern materials. It’s essentially two Mil-spec aluminum plates held tightly together by two retention bands. For an additional fee, Celtic Shield can also provide a custom engraving on the plates. Just pry the plates — which provide RFID protection — apart and access your needed charge card. Our slick/clip sample has a clip that can work as either a money clip or as a pocket clip (if you prefer to run cashless). The wallet is available in five configurations, including slick/slick and coin/clip, which features a holder for a 1.5-inch challenge coin on one side and a money clip on the other. Made in the USA. Make: Celtic Shield Model: Celtic Shield MSRP: $98 URL:www.celticshield.com

A gun that’s not regularly lubricated can fail to fire or fail to feed, ultimately failing to find its target — all of which can lead to serious problems in a life-and-death situation, let alone during competition or practice. That’s why Brothers & Arms USA teamed up with Dumonde Tech. The firearms apparel and accessories company collaborated with the lubricant firm known for racing oils to come up with a formula specific to the shooting world. Their lube features Dumonde’s Micro Resistant Complex Compounds technology, which has a lighter viscosity, yet reduces friction, increases adhesion, and provides corrosion protection. Plus, the lube will not build up and get gooey or sticky. It’s available in half-ounce, 2-ounce, and 32-ounce containers. Make: Brothers & Arms USA Model: True Blue Gun Oil by Dumonde Tech MSRP: Starts at $11 URL:www.truebluegunlube.com

When we’re not banging on our keyboards (which is most of the day, night, and weekends), we’re writing on dead trees using a pen. So when Cantu Bruner Designs sent us this custom-made RECOIL pen, we were impressed. The sample shown is based on the Texas company’s Bullet Pens series. These ballpoint pens are made from once-fired .308 Winchester casings and come with standard, medium-point black ink. (They accept Cross-style ink refills.) This lineup has models for a range of prices with various fiber-engraved images, from gun-inspired memes and military logos to superheroes and movie characters. Cantu Bruner also offers personalized laser and fiber engravings for an additional cost, as well as pencils, fountain pens, and more. Make: Cantu Bruner Designs Inc. Model: Bullet Pen MSRP: Starting at $20 URL:www.cantubrunerdesigns.com

When it comes to knife defense, the safest and most effective way to practice is with a training tool that realistically replicates the knife you carry daily — but without the ouchy parts. The Yojimbo 2 Trainer is practically identical to its live-blade counterpart in feel, use, and weight, except that the tip and edge have been dulled for safe contact. There are even strategically machined holes in the BD1 stainless steel blade to match the live blade’s weight to within 2 grams. The ergonomic G-10 handle is red to signal that it’s a safe training tool while the four-way pocket clip is adjustable, so you can practice high-speed knife deployments from the same position you would on the street. Make: Spyderco Inc. Model: Yojimbo 2 Trainer MSRP: $210 URL:www.spyderco.com

Real Avid has a new suite of cleverly designed and affordable armorer’s tools. The Master Bench Block is a Rube Goldberg meets Tetris contraption that helps you install and remove pins for your AR-15’s fire control group, trigger guard, front sight gas block, forward assist, charging handle, bolt catch, ejector, and extractor — all in the space of a 5.25-by-7.5 inch overmolded bench block. Note that it’s designed for standard forged receivers. The Pivot Pin Tool prevents you from flinging springs and pins all over your garage when trying to install the pivot pin in your lower. Made of hardened stainless steel with a comfortable resin handle, the Armorer’s Master Wrench has interchangeable brass, nylon, and rubber hammer heads, a castle nut wrench, a wrench for standard and some free-float barrel nuts, ¾-inch and 5⁄8-inch wrenches for muzzle devices and fixed stock receiver extensions, and a ½-inch socket to accept a torque wrench. The Lug-Lok Vise Block allows you to safely work on your upper by slotting directly into the steel barrel extension lugs rather than grabbing onto the upper receiver itself, similar to Geissele’s Reaction Rod except made of 7075 aluminum. Two additional conveniences are cross pins to prevent slipping in your vise and a knob to lock the upper in place. Finally, the Smart-Fit Vise Block secures your lower in a vise via its magwell, with a wedge design that gradually expands the block inside the magwell for a tight fit with any lower. Make: Real Avid Model: AR-15 Master Bench Block, AR-15 Pivot Pin Tool, Armorer’s Master Wrench, Lug-Lok Vise Block, Smart-Fit AR-15 Vise Block MSRP: $30, $10, $60, $70, and $30, respectively URL:www.realavid.com

UCO Gear has earned a reputation for making quality camping, outdoor, and survival gear that’s affordable, reliable, and easy to use. Its Sweetfire Firestarter Bio-Fuel Tabs are all of that and earth-friendly, too. Made of sugarcane waste and formed into rectangles using vegetable oil, the tinder tabs are a renewable bio fuel. Ignite one with a match, lighter, or firesteel and it’ll burn for six minutes — enough time to grow it into a lasting fire if you’ve gathered enough tinder and wood. You can toss the whole box in with your camping gear or distribute the tabs throughout your bug-out bag, home emergency kit, and other key places for those SHTF moments. Each pack comes with 24 tinder tabs. Make: UCO Gear Model: Sweetfire Firestarter Bio-Fuel Tabs MSRP: $3 per pack URL:www.ucogear.com

Nowadays most light companies offer their flashlights with rechargeable batteries … but do you have a compatible charger? Streamlight’s new 18650 USB battery sidesteps that problem with its integrated USB charging port. Just connect the battery to a USB cord and plug it into an outlet at home, in your car, or on your portable power bank. Streamlight has several new flashlights that run on this new multi-fuel system, including the 600-lumen PolyTac X. The handheld torch features a removable pocket clip, a high-impact nylon polymer body, and Streamlight’s trademark TEN-TAP Programming for three mode configurations. The 5.46-inch-long PolyTac X is waterproof up to 1 meter for 30 minutes. Make: Streamlight Model: PolyTac X MSRP: $75 URL:www.streamlight.com

Every yang must have its yin. If you’re training how to shoot holes into targets, you should also learn how to plug ’em, too. If you’ve already learned first aid and some tactical medicine, you should have blow-out kits in strategically placed locations, such as in your car, home, and range bag. Enter the Tac Pac Pro. It’s a compact kit that contains the essentials for stopping blood loss: packing and pressure gauze, EMT scissors, emergency blanket, and a North American CAT Generation 7 Tourniquet. The items come in a small pack with PALS webbing, allowing it to be attached to larger kit or have other gear connected to it. Make: Premier Safety Group Model: Tac Pac Pro MSRP: $69 URL:www.premiersafetygroup.com

Sometimes spring can make for some interesting weather. But Rite in the Rain won’t let a little precipitation stop you. The company famous for making waterproof notepads recently released the Storm Sight All-Weather Shooting Targets. As the name implies, these targets will shrug off rain and snow, making them ideal for year-round practice. Our samples are double-sided with the front for 25-yard zeroing while the back is for 100-yard zeroing. They’re 8.5 by 11 inches to match common binders and feature high-contrast MOA grids that borrow from military and competition design logic to score and improve your shooting. Each pack comes with 25 sheets and are made in the USA. Make: Rite in the Rain Model: 25- & 100- Yard Zeroing Target MSRP: $12 per pack URL:www.riteintherain.com